Hey everyone! I have been having some back problems as of late, and I know I have seen others on here before with back issues, so I am seeking a little insight and advice:

Recently my whole back, lower, mid and upper has been really bothering me. My lower back feels a little tense and achy, and my upper back feels really tight and uncomfortable. I have also been having a lot of tension in my neck muscles, and I sometimes get sharp pains in my ribs (they can also sometimes feel tender).

I am only 23, it seems a little early for this type of back fatigue or whatever. I also do not feel like this is bfs related. I am just a little frustrated, as I see a number of doctors for a lot of other things, and I would prefer not to have to see ONE MORE doctor.

Does anyone have any insight? Experience any similar troubles, and what do you do about them?

P.S. I have been incredibly stressed and depressed lately as well. My part time, contract job is about to be up, I have no prospects for employment, I really don't know what I want to do with my life, and I got a crappy score on my graduate exam. I don't know if this has anything to do with the back pain, but maybe it does and maybe this is all psychosomatic. (Also, I feel like I have no real reason to complain about this as my husband has a great job and can support us both for the time being, so feeling depressed about it kind of makes me feel like a bad person).

Hi MeganI've nothing clever to say unfortunately other than I, like many people, have had back problems for many years... even as far back as my 20s. Like you I don't think this is related to BFS although that said I have had some symptoms in the last decade which would be compatible with disc problems pinching nerves gonig into my legs, and I have a hunch that this is why my twitching is worse in my legs than elsewhere in my body. As you know I am a doctor and I would say that there isn't a great deal of value in seeing medical advice for non-specific back pain - you'd be better off seeing an osteopath or physio or something.How's your twitching by the way? You've had it longer than I have, I think (I'm at 18 months now)RegardsSimon

Fascics since Sep 08 when aged 44. Abnormal EMG (denervation/reinnervation L quads); brisk reflexes R arm on one clinical exam. Health anxiety in early stages, less so now

Hey Simon! Thanks for the tip... I probably won't see a doctor for it unless it is effecting my mobility, or unless it is severely uncomfortable.

The twitching comes and goes. I am not sure if it is better or not, sometimes I think its better, but I think maybe I just notice it less. It definitely flares in cold weather, or when I haven't had much sleep, or when I am ill, or sometimes, for no reason at all. I definitely dont fear it anymore... I think there is probably something going on in my body, but I have been trying to adopt the view that even if there is, I have decided I am not going to try to go look for it. I have lost a lot of time worrying about my health since 2006, and I am still fighting it, so I am trying hard not to lose any more.

I hope you are well Simon! Always good to see there are still some old timers around here!

Megan - maybe fox2run will get back to you but I think the point is that many of us have reported back problems either just before or after symptoms. There's been a lot of discussion about this. I thought my back problems were caused by the muscle tightness from pnh but the neuro's always think that's off-base since they've not seen it before. I just know I never had a back problem before I had pnh and the ruptured discs came after & were painful and made symptoms worse (writhing in pain does not help with pnh symptoms). My advice is, as always, practical stuff as I find it works for me. Do gentle stretches that help to equalize the tension in your back; do some strengthening exercises for your midsection to take the pressure off your spine; be more conscious of your posture and think ergonomics when you have to sit a long time. Not as easy as popping a pill but much better for you and you are taking positive action which is also good for you mentally. Think I'll take my own advice since I've been stuck in front of the computer with work for hours. Hope it works for you.

Thank you jcrissman for a new viewpoint and one I will definitively look into. Always thought it was too much of a coincidence that so many of us here came up with symptoms right after some life problem (divorces, job problems, deaths, grad school pressures, sicknesses, on-and-on). I will see if I can get this doc's book and give it a read. The idea that your mind is protecting you from unacceptable emotions by decreasing blood flow and causing physical problems is not that weird. Maybe it's not just back pain that this causes .......

Thanks for the advice everyone... I appreciate it as whenever I looked into back pain and things I could do for it, everything on the internet (maybe my first mistake) was like "Please first go to the doctor to make sure you don't have spinal tumors".... that sent me over the edge, at which point my husband threatened to take away my internet... lol... so... alas...

The pain has been touch and go since I left the post, but I have pain elsewhere too, my collar bones, ribs, hips, some other places, which to me I guess points to being stress related. I know long term stress can also wreck your muscles and stuff physically.... and a lot of that isn't even pyschosomatic, a lot of times I think my brain just responds defensively and my body goes crazy... I get poor sleep too, especially poor slow wave sleep, which I think doesn't help the healing process.

My goal right now, keep repeating to myself "I don't have spinal tumors", do some stretches, and try to reduce the stress levels in my life as much as possible.... possibly a trip to the Spa Castle, any other NYC-Tri-State area members ever been?

BFS FAQ:1. No, that's not bulbar2. No, the location doesn't matter3. Yes, we have all had that symptom4. No, you're not the exception5. No, that's not ominous6. No, you don't need an EMG7. Yes, you will be fine